Presser foot for sewing machines



Oct. 31, c F, RUBEL PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 15 19315 Sheets-Sheet 1 9% gmm WMWQ Claim/ S Oct. 31, 1933. c RUBEL 1,933,032

PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Oct. 31, 1933. c. F. RUBEL PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 gnvenfoa Oct. 31, 1933. c F. RUBEL PRESSERFOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 AZI Z! w9 3 i a m A l W W 2% y Oct. 31, c RUBEL PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINESFiled A ril 15, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M My, mmiizfg Patented Oct. 31,1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Special Machine Com poration ofIllinois pany, Chicago, III., a cor- Application April. 15, 1931. SerialNo.,530,350

9 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in presser foot forsewing machines, and more particularly to a presser foot for use on amachine for trimming the upturned edge portions of fabric sections,turning said trimmed edge portions into flat lapped relation and joiningthe same by covering stitches.

An object of the invention is to provide a presser foot for a machine ofthe above character 10 having non-flexible members located alongside thechannel which receives the upturned edge portions of the fabricsections, with means whereby said non-fiexible members can be readilyand quickly detached from the presser foot and re- '1placed thereonwithout requiring the disassembling of the parts of the presser foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a presser foot of theabove character wherein the non-flexible members terminatesubstanjtially at the rear side of the needle opening in said presserfoot with a non-flexible member located in rear of the needle opening,and where-.

in said non-flexible members constitute substantially the entire fabricholding surface of the jpresser foot.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings Figure l is a side view of a portion of a sewing machinehaving the improved presser foot applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in '1plan showing theshank and foot portion with the parts carried thereby;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the presser 'Qfoot, showing themanner of supporting one of the non-flexible members alongside of thechannel, and also the non-flexible member in rear of the needle opening;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing jthe non-flexible memberpartly detached from seam as having passed the needles and about to.pass beneath the non-flexible member at the rear of the foot;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but showing the cross seambeneaththe non-flexible member at the rear of the foot;

Fig.12 is a view in transverse section through the presser foot, andthroat plate on a line in front of the trimming mechanism and showingmore or less diagrammatically the position of the fabric sections beforethe edge portions are trimmed.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 taken at the trimming point andshowing the edge portions as trimmed oif.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 12 taken a short distance in front ofthe needles, and showing the turning down of the trimmed edge portions.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 12 taken at the stitching point andshowing the fabric sections turned down for stitching.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15, but showing two thicknesses offabric at the right of the line of feed, and

Fig. 1'7 is a view similar to Fig. 15, but show- 80. ing two thicknessesof fabric at the left of the line of feed.

The invention is directed to a presser foot for sewing machines which isespecially adapted for guiding and directing fabric sections so thatthey 85, may be trimmed, after which the trimmed edges are placed inlapped relation and united by stitching, which not only joins the edgeportions but which covers the raw edges of the trimmed fabric sections.The presser foot is provided with a 00 channel extending in the generaldirection of the feed from the front end of the foot to a point directlyin front of the needle opening. This channel receives the upturned edgeportions and directs the same to horizontally disposed trim- 95. mingdevices which trim said edge portions, after which the presser footoperates thereon for turn-. ing said trimmed edge portions into lappedrelation for stitching. The stitching mechanismv preferably includes aplurality of needles, as shown in the drawings, with which looperscooperate, and also cover thread laying devices.

The invention is directed broadly to the-construction of that portion ofthe presser foot which bears on the fabric sections and holds said sections either on the work support or in contact with the feed dogs duringthe operation of the machine. Located along each side of the channel fordirecting the upturned edge portions isv a non-flexible member. Eachnon-flexible memllO 2: her is provided with two posts one at each endthereof. The rear post extends through an opening in the foot portion,and a flat spring bears on the upper end thereof. The front post extendsthrough a slot in the foot portion which leads all the way to the frontend thereof, and there is a pin through the post which serves as a stopfor. limiting the downward movement of the non-flexible member. A springbears on the forward upturned end portion of the non-flexible member andyieldingly forces said forward end downwardly away from the footportion. This non-flexible member terminates substantially at the rearend of the needle opening in the foot portion, and there is a thirdnon-flexible member extending all the way across the presser foot inrear of the'needle opening. This non-flexible member is yieldinglypressed downwardly and is so constructed that it can move both aboveand; below the plane of the lower face of the nonfiexiblemembers whensaid members are in contact with the foot portion.

It is thought that the invention willbe betterunderstood by a detaildescription of" the illustratedembodiment. The presser foot includes a.shank portion 1 in the form. of a block which is attached to a presserbar 2. Rigidly carried bythe shank portion 1 is a foot portion 3. Thereis a needle opening athrough this foot portion through which'the needlesindicated .at5, 6 and '7 pass. Thereisa channel'8 in thefoot portionleading from the front end thereof and terminat-. ing in advance of theneedle opening. As shown in the drawings, the machine. isprovided with awork supporting arm 9, and said work arm car-.. ries a rib 10 which isV-shaped in cross section, which ribisremovably mounted on the-work armso that' it can be moved into the channel in. the presser foot. Thepurposeof. the .rib .is to aid -in the guiding and directingof-theupturned edge portions of the fabric sections. The presser foot isprovided with a section 11 secured thereto by a screw 12 which carries afabric engagingmember 13 that operates on the edge portions of thefabricsections-to turnthe samedownwardly into lapped relation. There is alsoa-fabric en-. gaging section 14 secured to the foot portion by a screw15 which-carriesamember 16 (see Fig. 14) that turns down-the underfabric section prior to the turning down of theupper fabric section bythe member 13. Thus it is that the. fabric sections are placed in lappedrelation one on the other-preparatory to stitching.

The fabric sections as they 'pass'intothechannel are directed first totrimming devices which include a stationary trimming blade-l'l'and amovable trimming blade l8.- Thestationary trimming blade 1'7 is securedto the foot portion bymeans of a clamping member-19. Said clamp- 'ingmember is secured tothe foot portion by means of a clamping screw 20.This clampingmember overlaps the stationary trimming blade and firmlysecures the same to the foot portion. The movable trimming blade isprovided with a guiding finger 21 and the clamping memberis formed witha passageway 22 which receives this guiding finger, and thus it isthatthe stationary trimming blade is firmly clamped to thefoot portion, andat the same time, amplespace is given' for the movements of the movabletrimming blade. and the guide fingerassociated therewith, Fixed to. thepresser foot is a guard plate 23,which;;

deflects away from the stitching mechanism the trimmed oflixedgeportions- This guard plateiis:

attached to the foot portion by means of a screw 24.

After the fabric sections have been trimmed they are turned down intoflat relation as stated above. The center needle 6 is located so as topass through the lapped portionswhile the needles Sand 7 pass outside ofthe respective edges, and thus it is that the lapped edge portions arecovered by the stitchformingmechanism. The stitch forming mechanismincludes a guide 25 for the cover thread and a hook 26 which cooperatestherewith in laying the cover thread so that it will join theoutside-rows of needle thread loops. In thework arm-isa complementalstitch forming mechanism which cooperates with the needles forformingconnected rows of loops which cover the under face of the lappedsections.

At each side of the channel 8 in the presser foot is a. non-flexiblefabric engaging portion. The non-flexible member at one side isindicated at 2'7 and the non-flexible-member. at the other sideaisindicated at 28; This non-flexible member 27. has its outer edge attheouter face of the presser footportion 3. .Its inner edge extendsalongthe channel throughwhich'the upturned edge-portions are guided;Thereis aportion cutaway for the member 13 which aids in the turning.down of the edge portions ofthe fabric sections. The

non-fiexiblemember 28' has .its outeredgesubstantially. inline with theouter edge of .the foot portion .3, while the inner edge is parallelwith the wall of the channel in the foot-portion. The. in-

ner edge at the, rearend of the channel is cut away: to provide a-spacefor the member 16 which aids in turning down the edge portions of .thefabric sections.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, the mountingof the non-flexible member 2811sshown. Adjacent the rearend of the non-flexible member is apost 29 whichextends up through an opening in the presser footportion 3. Attached .tothe presser foot is ailat spring.30 bymeansofa screw 31; This flatspring'overlies the upper end of :the post 29. Thepost. 29.isof-sufiicientlength so that when the non-flexible member 28 isincontact with the underface ofthe presserfootportionB, the spring willibeunder tension, and yieldingly pressing down on the post 29. The frontend of.

the non-flexible member 28 is turned upward as indicated at 32. Adjacentthe front endcofithe non-flexible membe1228. is a post 33 which extendsup through a slot 34 leading in from the front end of the presser footportion 3.. A'pin 35 extends through the head of this post and is sopositioned thatwhen the non-flexible member 28 is against be aslightdistance above the. upper face of the foot portion. A spring 36 issecured to a projecting lug. carried by the foot portion 3 by means of ascrew 37. This spring extends over the front end of the non-flexiblemember 28 and bears on said non-flexible member. When the presser footis raised from the fabric, the fiat spring 30 hearing on the rear post,and the spring 36 bearing on :the forward end of said non-flexible.member 28 will yieldingly force said member downwardlyaway from the footportion 3. The extent to which the front post moves downwardly islimited by the stop pin. There is nothing to limit thedownward.movement'of the post 29, except that the forwardpost'33 servesas afulcrum and the spring36 bearing on the front end of the non- When .it,:isgdesired .to .remove this non-flexible .130 the under face of thefoot portion 3, the pin will;

member of the presser foot, all that is necessary is to lift the presserfoot and then the rear post 29 canibe withdrawn from the opening asshown inFig. 6, after which the non-flexible member is moved forward,withdrawing the post 33 from the slot 34. The spring 36 is so positionedthat the post 33 can be completely withdrawn from the slot. Thisremoving of the non-flexible member is of great aid in the operation ofthe machine. The lint from the trimming mechanism has a tendency tocollect between the non-flexible member and the presser foot and thuslimit its action, if not rendering it completely ineffective. Thenon-flexible member can be very readily and quickly removed withoutdisassembling any of the parts of the presser'foot, or by removing anyscrews or bolts, and when replaced it will be in its normal positionunder its normal tension means.

The non-flexible member 27 carries a 'post 3'7 adjacent its rear end,and a leafspring 38 secured to the foot section by 'a screw 39 bears onthe upper end of the post. There is a post 40 adjacent the front end ofthis non-flexible member 2'7, and a pin 41 which limits the downwardmovement thereof. There is a spring 42 carried by a lug 43 which bearson the forward end of this nonflexible member 27. The proportioning ofthe parts supporting this non-flexible member 27 and the operation ofthe same, is precisely the same as the supporting and operation of thenon-flexible member 28. The non-flexible members 2'7 and 28 and theyielding mounting of the same per se, form no part of the presentinvention, but are shown, described and claimed in the patent grantedAlfred T. Chidley, August 25, 1931, No. 1,820,438.

The present invention has particularly to do with the mounting of thesenon-flexible members so that they may be detached from the foot portionof the presser foot, and also so that they form substantially the entirefabric holding surface ofthe presser foot in front of the needle. Thedevices carried by the presser foot for turning the edge portions of thefabric sections into lapped relation and the'retractible rib on the worksupport form no part of the present invention per se, but are shown,described and claimed in the patent granted Albert S. Riviere andCharles F. Rubel, October 13, 1931, No. 1,827,613.

The non-flexible members 27 and 28 terminate substantially at the rearside of the needle hole 4 in the presser foot. In-rear of thesenon-flexible members 27 and 28 and extending all the way across thepresser foot is a non-flexible member 44. The foot portion 3 is providedwith a recess in its under face adapted to receive this nonfiexiblemember 44. The member is carried by a post 45 extending upwardly into arecess 46 in the shank 1 of the presser foot. A spring 47 housed in therecess yieldingly moves the post downwardly, and the non-flexible member44 away from the foot portion 3. A screw 48 passing through a slotin thepresser foot shank is l threaded into the post and limits its downwardmovement.

The non-flexible members 2'7, 28 and 44 constitute substantially theentire fabric engaging and holding surface of the presser foot. Theunderneath portions of the foot adjacent the non-flexible members may beof any desired shape, as they do not engage the fabric and never serveas a fabric engaging and holding surface. 7

- The purpose "of these non-flexible 'members will be understood byreference to Figures 9 to 17, inclusive. In Fig. 9, a fabric section Fhaving a cross seam c is shown as passing beneath the presser foot. Thiscross seam will raise the forward end of the presser foot slightly. Therear end of the non-flexible member in front of the needle hole will beforced by the leaf spring bearing on the rear post downwardly intocontact with the fabric section. The non-flexible member 44 in rear ofthe needle hole will, of course, bear upon the fabric, notwithstandingthat the presser foot has been raised by the cross seam passing beneaththe same. In Fig. 10, the cross seam is shown as having passed all theway to the rear end of the non-flexible members in front of the needlehole. It will be seen from this figure that the spring at the forwardend of the foothas forced the non-flexible member downwardly intocontact with the material following the cross seam. In Fig. 11 thecrossseam has passed the needles and is underneath the non-flexible member44. The presser foot is still held raised, but the non-inflexiblemembers in advance of the needle hole are moved down on to the fabricand thus hold the fabric against the work support and the feed. It willbe seen that the cross seams, whether they are in one or both sectionsof the fabric, will readily pass beneath the presser foot withoutdisturbingthe complete control of the fabric sections, both in front andin rear of the cross seam. In Fig. 12 the presser foot is shown asbearing on two fabric sections, one at each side of the line of feed;the edge portions are raised and are being directed to the trimmingdevices. In Fig. 13 the trimming devices have operated to trim theupstanding edge portions preparatory to the turning of the same downinto flat relation for stitching. In Fig. 14 the presser foot isoperatingupon these trimmed upturned edge portions so as to fold downthe one at the left first, and then the one at the right on top thereof.In Fig. 15 the fabric sections are shown in lapped relation and beingstitched by the three needles, the center one of which penetrates thelapped sections, while the other two pass outside of the edges of therespective fabric sections. In Fig. 16 there are shown two fabricsections at the right of the line of feed. This causes the presser footportion 3 to be raised. The non-flexible member 27 is directly againstthe under face of the foot portion 3. The non-flexible member 28 has,however, through the action of the springs thereon, moved downwardlyinto contact with the single layer of fabric and is holding the sameagainst the work support and the feet. In Fig. 17 there are two sectionsof fabric on the left, and the non-flexible member 27 is moved down intocontact with the single thickness of fabric.

It will be apparent from the above that a presser foot has been providedwherein the fabric engaging portions at each side of the channeldirecting the upturned edge portions are nonflexible. They aresubstantially rigid metal parts, and at the same time, said sections areso mounted that they may yield independently of each other, and yieldeither at the forward end or the rear end thereof, so as to take carenot only of different thicknesses of fabric on opposite sides of thechannel, but also cross seams as they pass beneath the presser foot. Inorder that these non-flexible members will freely move so as to controlthe fabric sections under all of these conditions, it is essential thatthe presser foot should be kept clear of collecting lint formed claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is

1. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot. portion to a point in front ofthe needle opening for'receiving and directing the upturned ed'geportions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turningsaid fabric sections into flat overlapping relation for stitching, anon-flexible member beneath the foot portion at each side of thechannel, means for supporting each non-flexible member whereby it may bedetached from the foot portion by a tilting and endwise movement of thenon-flexible member relative to said foot portion, and yielding meansassociated with each non-flexible member for moving the same downwardlyand away from the foot portion.

2. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot portion to a point in front ofthe needle opening for receiving and directing the upturned edgeportions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turningsaid fabric sections into fiat overlapping relation for stitching, anon-flexible member at each side of said channel extending from thefront end of the presser foot to'a point in line with the rear side ofthe needle opening, a nonflexible yielding member in rear of the needleopening, said non-flexible members serving as the sole fabric holdingsurface of said presser foot,

and means associated with each non-flexible member for supporting thesame and for yieldingly forcing said member downwardly away from thepresser foot.

3. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot portion to a point in front ofthe needle opening for receiving and directing the upturned edgeportions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turningsaid fabricsections into flat overlapping relation for stitching, anon-flexible member at each side of said channel extending from thefront end of the presser foot to a point in line with the rear side ofthe needle opening, a non-flexible yielding member in rear of the needleopening, said non-flexible members serving as the sole fabric holdingsurface of said presser foot, and means associated with each nonflexiblemember for supporting the same and for yieldingly forcing said memberdownwardly away from the presser foot, said member in rear of the needleopening being mounted so as to move both above and below the plane ofthe lower'faces of the non-flexible members along side of the channel.4. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot portion to a point in front ofthe needle openingfor receiving and directing the upturned edge portionsof fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turning saidfabric sections into flat overlapping relation for stitching, anonfiexible member beneath the foot portion at each side of the channel,means associated with each non-flexible member for supporting the sameon said foot portion, said supporting means including devices locatedsubstantially at the opposite ends of the non-flexible members, andyielding means associated therewith for normally forcing thenon-flexible members downwardly away from the foot section, saidsupporting means for said non-flexible members being constructed so asto permit the non-flexible members to be independently detached from thefoot portion by a tilting and endwise movement of said non-flexiblemembers relative to the foot portion.

5. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot portion to a point in front ofthe needle opening for receiving and directing the upturned edgeportions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turningsaid fabric sections into flat overlapping relation for stitching, anon-flexible member beneath the foot portion at each side of thechannel, and means associated with each nonflexible member forsupporting the same on the foot portion including a post rigid with thenonflexible member adjacent each end thereof, said posts extendingthrough openings in the foot portion, said opening at the front end ofthe foot portion being in the form of a slot extending to the front endof the foot so as to permit the nonfiexible member to be quickly removedfrom the foot portion, and means for yieldingly moving said non-flexiblemember downwardly away from the foot portion. I p

6. A presser foot for sewing machines comprising a shank, a foot portionrigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and a channelleading from the front end of said foot portion to a point in front ofthe needle opening for receiving and directing the upturned edgeportions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means for turningsaid fabric sections into flat overlapping relation for stitching, anonflexible member beneath the foot portion at each side of the channel,means associated with each non-flexible member for supporting the sameon the foot portion including a post rigid with the non-flexible memberadjacent each end thereof, said posts extending through openings in thefoot portion, said opening at the front end of the foot portion being inthe form of a slot extending to the front end of the foot so as topermit the nonflexible member to be quickly removed from the footportion, a flat spring engaging the post at the rear end of eachnon-flexible member for yieldingly moving the non-flexible memberdownwardly, and away from the foot portion, means carried by the postadjacent the front end of each non-flexible member for limiting thedownward movement thereof, and a spring bearing on each non-flexiblemember in front of the posts for yieldingly moving the front end of thenonflexible member downwardly and away from the foot portion.

7. A presser foot for sewing machines com- 150 prising a shank, a footportion rigidly carried by said shank having a needle opening and achannel leading from the front end of said foot portion to a point infront of the needle opening for receiving and directing the upturnededge portions of fabric sections, said presser foot having means forturning said fabric sections into flat overlapping relation forstitching, a nonflexible member beneath the foot portion at each side ofthe channel, means for supporting each non-flexible member whereby itmay be quickly detached from the foot portion, yielding means associatedwith each non-flexible member for moving the same downwardly and awayfrom the foot portion, said non-flexible members terminatingsubstantially at the rear end of the needle opening, a non-flexiblemember located in rear of the needle opening and extending all the wayacross the presser foot, a supporting post therefor, said shank having arecess adapted to receive said post, a spring in said recess normallyforcing the post downwardly, and a stop for limiting said downwardmovement of the post, said stop being disposed so as to permit thenonflexible member in rear of the needle opening to move above and belowthe plane of the lower face of the non-flexible members when in contactwith the foot portion.

8. A presser foot for sewing machines including a foot portion, anon-flexible member located beneath said foot portion, a post adjacenteach end of said non-flexible member, said foot portion having openingstherethrough for receiving said posts, a leaf spring bearing on the postat the rear end of said non-flexible member, a limiting pin passingthrough the post at the forward end of said non-flexible member, saidnon-flexible member having an upturned forward portion in front of saidposts, and a spring bearing on said front end of the non-flexible memberfor normally forcing said non-flexible member downwardly away from thefoot portion and for holding the rear post in contact with the springassociated therewith.

9. A presser foot for sewing machines including a foot portion, anon-flexible member located beneath said foot portion, a post adjacenteach end of said non-flexible member, said foot portion having openingstherethrough for receiving said posts, a leaf spring bearing on the postat the rear end of said non-flexible member, a limiting pin passingthrough the post at the forward end of said non-flexible member, saidnon-flexible member having an upturned forward portion in front of saidposts, and a spring bearing on said front end of the non-flexible memberfor normally forcing said non-flexible member downwardly away from thefoot portion and for holding the rear post in contact with the springassociated there-- with, the opening for the post at the front end ofthe non-flexible member being slotted whereby saidnon-flexible member,when the presser foot is raised, can be quickly released from the footby Withdrawing the rear post from the opening and moving the front postforward in the slot.

CHARLES F. RUBEL.

